Stefan Crnojević (Serbian Cyrillic: Стефан Црнојевић), known as Stefanica (Стефаница; fl. 1426–1465) was the Lord of Zeta between 1451 and 1465. Until 1441, as a knyaz he was one of many governors in Upper Zeta, which at that time was a province of the Serbian Despotate. He then aligned himself with the Bosnian duke, Stefan Vukčić Kosača, and remained his vassal until 1444 when he accepted Venetian suzerainty. In Venetian–held Lezhë, on 2 March 1444, Stefan and his sons forged an alliance with several noblemen from Albania, led by Skanderbeg, known as the League of Lezhë. In 1448 he returned under suzerainty of Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković. In 1451, Stefan took over the leadership of the Crnojević family and became the ruler of a large part of Zeta, hence the title Gospodar Zetski (transl. Lord of Zeta).
Stefan was born as the third son of Đurađ Đurašević Crnojević, and the daughter of Albanian nobleman Koja Zaharia of the Zaharia family. Stefan had three brothers: Đurašin Đurašević, Gojčin Crnojević and a brother with an unknown name and historical role.[1] The earliest documents which mentions him is from 1426.[2] Stefan was nicknamed "Stefanica".[3]
Stefan had three sons, Ivan, Andrija, nicknamed as the brave Albanian[4] and Božidar, who in other sources is mentioned as his brother.Historians from Ragusa always mentioned the lands of Balšić and Crnojević family as Zeta and considered it as part of Serbia to distinguish it from other areas.[5]
Reign
Vassalage
Crnojević family properties
At adulthood, Stefan became one of the many noblemen who governed parts of Zeta within the Serbian Despotate, but did not agree with the other Crnojević members and pursued his goals on his own, outside the mainstream of the family. With the temporary Ottoman capture of the Serbian Despotate's main continental territories in 1441, DespotĐurađ Branković came from Ragusa to Zeta to organize resistance and restore his control over the occupied parts. His attempt failed and resulted with the blinding of the despot's two captured sons in retaliation. With his departure back to Hungary, Stefan aligned himself with the Bosnian duke, Stefan Vukčić Kosača.[6][7] At the end of September 1441 Kosača captured the territory of upper Zeta on the left bank of Morača. Stefan Crnojević, who represented the whole Crnojević family, joined him in this campaign and was awarded by Kosača with control over five villages. He kept two of them (Goričane and Kruse) under his control and gave the other three to his brothers.[8]
Stefan Vukčić Kosača's offensive into Zeta (1441–44). Podgorica and Medun, in Upper Zeta, and Bar, in Lower Zeta, were conquered.
Stefan married Maria Kastrioti, also called Mamica, the oldest daughter of the Lord of Mat Gjon Kastrioti.[9] This family link became really important when in November 1443 Gjon's son and Maria's brother, Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg rebelled in Albania against his Ottoman sovereign. According to Vasilije Petrović-Njegoš Stefan sent soldiers under the command of Božidar to help Skanderbeg in his fight against Ottomans, but Lekë Dukagjini and members of Zaharia family ambushed and killed them.[10]
Siege of Bar 1. Altoman offensive; 2. Stefan Crnojević offensive; 3. Paštrovići offensive; 4. Venetian-supporting Mrkojevići; 5. Venetian properties.
In 1444 Stefan Crnojević found strong new protectors in the Venetian Republic. In Venetian-held Lezhë on 2 March 1444 Stefan and his sons forged an alliance (League of Lezhë) with several noblemen from Albania, including Skanderbeg.[11] With the restoration of the Serbian Despotate after the Crusade, Stefan gave his loyalty to Despot Đurađ Branković in 1448. Together with Branković and Skanderbeg he attacked Venetian held Bar and Ulcinj.[12] Venetians were reluctant to fight against Serbian Despotate and had intention to estrange Branković and Skanderbeg. In July 1448 Jakov Dolfin, the governor of Bar, was victorious in the battle against Altoman's forces whose part was commanded by Stefan.[13]
Lord of Zeta
After the disappearance of Stefan's brother Gojčin Crnojević from political life in 1451, Stefan took over the leadership of the house of Crnojević and became the ruler of a large part of Zeta. Stefan was never good with his brothers and always led politics on his own. To strengthen his position, he decided to immediately seek foreign protection. In 1452 he allied himself with Venice and recognized its authority over the region and was subsequently entitled Duke of Upper Zeta.[14] The reasons of the alliance are related to his anticipation of the downfall of the Serbian Despot. Venetan dogeFrancesco Foscari wrote a letter to Stefan in 1455 asking him to return to Budva its territory he captured.[15] In 1455 the Ottomans invaded Serbia and conquered all of its territories south of the Western Morava river, completely cutting Zeta off from the core of the Despotate. Therefore, Duke Stefan Crnojević along with representatives from all 51 municipalities from Upper Zeta signed an agreement the same year with the Venetians in Vranjina, by which Upper Zeta accepted Venetian rule. Venice came to rule only the cities, while all internal affairs were left to duke Stefan. The Republic of Venice also bound itself not to mettle with the ecclesiastical authority Serbian OrthodoxMetropolitan of Zeta in any way. Montenegro slowly became the name of Stefan's Zetan realm. He reigned peacefully without the intervention of Venice and the Ottomans until his death in late 1464 or the beginning of 1465, when his son Ivan succeeded him.
^M. Bešić, Zarij (1970), Istorija Crne Gore / 2. Crna gora u doba oblasnih gospodara. (in Serbian), Titograd: Redakcija za istoiju Crne Gore, p. 190, OCLC 175122851, Ђурађ је имао четири сина
^Istorijski Glasnik. 1969. p. 30. Retrieved 24 April 2013. За Стефана Црнојевића (помиње се од 1426. годи- не),
^Mathias Bernath; Felix von Schroeder (1974). Südosteuropäische Arbeiten. Oldenbourg. p. 336. ISBN978-3-486-47961-4. Retrieved 22 April 2013. Stefan Crnojevic (Stefanica), Herrscher der Zeta 1426—1465, Sohn des Djuradj C. Er sicherte sich die Macht dadurch, daß er seine Brüder ausschaltete und
^Fallmerayer, Jakob Philipp; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften (München); Historische Klasse (1860). Das albanesische Element in Griechenland 2 2 (in German). München: Verl. der K. Akad. p. 45. OCLC 163440300.
Чињеница да историјски извори који говоре о Зети у XIV и XV вијеку често употребљавају и шири појам „Албанија" изискује извјесно објашњење...Иначе су Дубровчани земље Балшића и Црнојевића редовно називали Зетом...они су ... подвлачили да Зета припада Србији....називали су Балшиће „српском господом"...Константин Филозоф, називао је Балшу „арбаваским господином"...Которани.... поручивали су им да ће,ако их они не прихвате, морати да се потчине „или Арбавасима, или Србима или Турцима"...Како им је у том тренутку пријетила опасност од Радича Црнојевића, Сандаља Хранића и турских провала, јасно је кога су уврстили у Арбанасе... Стефан Душан назива ... је он Поморје изједначио са Албанијом)
У другој половини септембра 1441. год. Стефан Вукчић је провалио у Горњу Зету и најприје заузео крајеве до Мораче. Придобио је Стефаницу Црнојевића, који је још био у слози с браћом и иступао у име читаве породице. Зато му је на освојеномподручју уступио пет катуна... Стефашца је по један катун уступио сваком брату, а сам задржао Горичане и Крусе
^Andrija Veselinović; Radoš Ljušić (2008). Srpske dinastije. Službene glasink. p. 127. ISBN978-86-7549-921-3. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
^Petrović-Njegoš, Petar I (1835), Кратка Историја Црне Горе (Short History of Montenegro) (in Serbian), retrieved 17 January 2012, У овога Стефана бише три сина: Иван, Божидар и Андрија, наречени Арванит Храбри.... Стефан бјеше у вријеме великога и славнога у великијем дјелам Георгија Кастриота, реченога Скендер-бега коме пошиљаше помоћ противу Тураках под начелством сина својега Божидара, којега вјероломни Лека Дукађин, уједно са Захаријем Амнисфером, књазом од неке части Арбаније и сојузником Скендер-беговијем, дочека бусијом на некојему мјесту и обојицу уби, и велику жалост Кастриоту и свој његовој војсци, како и Стефану, учини.
Nikola und Paul Dukagjin, Leka Zaharia von Dagno, Peter Span, Herr der Berge hinter Drivasto, Georg Strez Balsha sowie Johann und Gojko Balsha, die sich zwischen Kruja und Alessio festgesetzt hatten, die Dushman von Klein-Polatum sowie Stefan (Stefanica) Crnojevic, der Herr der Oberzeta
Georg Branković, Stefan Crnojević und Skanderbeg erschienen mit starken heeren vor den venezianischen Stadten [Georg Branković, Stefan Crnojević and Skanderbeg appeared with a strong army before the Venetian cities]
^Dragoslav Srejović; Slavko Gavrilović; Sima M. Ćirković (1982). Istorija srpskog naroda: knj. Od najstarijih vremena do Maričke bitke (1371). Srpska književna zadruga. p. 266. Retrieved 22 April 2013. У међувремену, неочекивано, средином јула 1448, барски потестат Јаков Долфин, издашно се служећи лукавством, потукао је Алтоманову војску, чијим је једним делом командовао Стефаница Црнојевић.
^Ivan Pederin (1990). Mletačka uprava, privreda i politika u Dalmaciji: 1409-1797. Časopis "Dubrovnik". p. 8. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
Sources
Bešić, Zarij M. (1970), Istorija Crne Gore / 2. Crna gora u doba oblasnih gospodara. (in Serbian), Titograd: Redakcija za istoiju Crne Gore, OCLC 175122851
stefan, crnojević, serbian, cyrillic, Стефан, Црнојевић, known, stefanica, Стефаница, 1426, 1465, lord, zeta, between, 1451, 1465, until, 1441, knyaz, many, governors, upper, zeta, which, that, time, province, serbian, despotate, then, aligned, himself, with, . Stefan Crnojevic Serbian Cyrillic Stefan Crnoјeviћ known as Stefanica Stefanica fl 1426 1465 was the Lord of Zeta between 1451 and 1465 Until 1441 as a knyaz he was one of many governors in Upper Zeta which at that time was a province of the Serbian Despotate He then aligned himself with the Bosnian duke Stefan Vukcic Kosaca and remained his vassal until 1444 when he accepted Venetian suzerainty In Venetian held Lezhe on 2 March 1444 Stefan and his sons forged an alliance with several noblemen from Albania led by Skanderbeg known as the League of Lezhe In 1448 he returned under suzerainty of Serbian Despot Đurađ Brankovic In 1451 Stefan took over the leadership of the Crnojevic family and became the ruler of a large part of Zeta hence the title Gospodar Zetski transl Lord of Zeta Stefan CrnojevicLord of ZetaCoat of armsReign1451 1465PredecessorGojcin CrnojevicSuccessorIvan CrnojevicDied1465BuriedKom MonasteryNoble familyCrnojevicSpouse s Mara KastriotiIssueIvan Andrija BozidarFatherĐurađ Đurasevic CrnojevicMotherA daughter of Koja Zaharia Contents 1 Early life and family 2 Reign 2 1 Vassalage 2 2 Lord of Zeta 3 Ancestry 4 References 5 SourcesEarly life and family EditStefan was born as the third son of Đurađ Đurasevic Crnojevic and the daughter of Albanian nobleman Koja Zaharia of the Zaharia family Stefan had three brothers Đurasin Đurasevic Gojcin Crnojevic and a brother with an unknown name and historical role 1 The earliest documents which mentions him is from 1426 2 Stefan was nicknamed Stefanica 3 Stefan had three sons Ivan Andrija nicknamed as the brave Albanian 4 and Bozidar who in other sources is mentioned as his brother Historians from Ragusa always mentioned the lands of Balsic and Crnojevic family as Zeta and considered it as part of Serbia to distinguish it from other areas 5 Reign EditVassalage Edit Crnojevic family properties At adulthood Stefan became one of the many noblemen who governed parts of Zeta within the Serbian Despotate but did not agree with the other Crnojevic members and pursued his goals on his own outside the mainstream of the family With the temporary Ottoman capture of the Serbian Despotate s main continental territories in 1441 Despot Đurađ Brankovic came from Ragusa to Zeta to organize resistance and restore his control over the occupied parts His attempt failed and resulted with the blinding of the despot s two captured sons in retaliation With his departure back to Hungary Stefan aligned himself with the Bosnian duke Stefan Vukcic Kosaca 6 7 At the end of September 1441 Kosaca captured the territory of upper Zeta on the left bank of Moraca Stefan Crnojevic who represented the whole Crnojevic family joined him in this campaign and was awarded by Kosaca with control over five villages He kept two of them Goricane and Kruse under his control and gave the other three to his brothers 8 Stefan Vukcic Kosaca s offensive into Zeta 1441 44 Podgorica and Medun in Upper Zeta and Bar in Lower Zeta were conquered Stefan married Maria Kastrioti also called Mamica the oldest daughter of the Lord of Mat Gjon Kastrioti 9 This family link became really important when in November 1443 Gjon s son and Maria s brother Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg rebelled in Albania against his Ottoman sovereign According to Vasilije Petrovic Njegos Stefan sent soldiers under the command of Bozidar to help Skanderbeg in his fight against Ottomans but Leke Dukagjini and members of Zaharia family ambushed and killed them 10 Siege of Bar1 Altoman offensive 2 Stefan Crnojevic offensive 3 Pastrovici offensive 4 Venetian supporting Mrkojevici 5 Venetian properties In 1444 Stefan Crnojevic found strong new protectors in the Venetian Republic In Venetian held Lezhe on 2 March 1444 Stefan and his sons forged an alliance League of Lezhe with several noblemen from Albania including Skanderbeg 11 With the restoration of the Serbian Despotate after the Crusade Stefan gave his loyalty to Despot Đurađ Brankovic in 1448 Together with Brankovic and Skanderbeg he attacked Venetian held Bar and Ulcinj 12 Venetians were reluctant to fight against Serbian Despotate and had intention to estrange Brankovic and Skanderbeg In July 1448 Jakov Dolfin the governor of Bar was victorious in the battle against Altoman s forces whose part was commanded by Stefan 13 Lord of Zeta Edit After the disappearance of Stefan s brother Gojcin Crnojevic from political life in 1451 Stefan took over the leadership of the house of Crnojevic and became the ruler of a large part of Zeta Stefan was never good with his brothers and always led politics on his own To strengthen his position he decided to immediately seek foreign protection In 1452 he allied himself with Venice and recognized its authority over the region and was subsequently entitled Duke of Upper Zeta 14 The reasons of the alliance are related to his anticipation of the downfall of the Serbian Despot Venetan doge Francesco Foscari wrote a letter to Stefan in 1455 asking him to return to Budva its territory he captured 15 In 1455 the Ottomans invaded Serbia and conquered all of its territories south of the Western Morava river completely cutting Zeta off from the core of the Despotate Therefore Duke Stefan Crnojevic along with representatives from all 51 municipalities from Upper Zeta signed an agreement the same year with the Venetians in Vranjina by which Upper Zeta accepted Venetian rule Venice came to rule only the cities while all internal affairs were left to duke Stefan The Republic of Venice also bound itself not to mettle with the ecclesiastical authority Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan of Zeta in any way Montenegro slowly became the name of Stefan s Zetan realm He reigned peacefully without the intervention of Venice and the Ottomans until his death in late 1464 or the beginning of 1465 when his son Ivan succeeded him Ancestry EditAncestors of Stefan Crnojevic16 Đuras Ilijic8 Crnoje Đurasevic4 Radic Crnojevic2 Đurađ Đurasevic5 Jelena1 Stefanica6 Koja Zaharia3 Unnamed14 Leka Dukagjin7 BosaReferences Edit M Besic Zarij 1970 Istorija Crne Gore 2 Crna gora u doba oblasnih gospodara in Serbian Titograd Redakcija za istoiju Crne Gore p 190 OCLC 175122851 Ђuraђ јe imao chetiri sina Istorijski Glasnik 1969 p 30 Retrieved 24 April 2013 Za Stefana Crnoјeviћa pomiњe se od 1426 godi ne Mathias Bernath Felix von Schroeder 1974 Sudosteuropaische Arbeiten Oldenbourg p 336 ISBN 978 3 486 47961 4 Retrieved 22 April 2013 Stefan Crnojevic Stefanica Herrscher der Zeta 1426 1465 Sohn des Djuradj C Er sicherte sich die Macht dadurch dass er seine Bruder ausschaltete und Fallmerayer Jakob Philipp Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften Munchen Historische Klasse 1860 Das albanesische Element in Griechenland 2 2 in German Munchen Verl der K Akad p 45 OCLC 163440300 Besic 1970 p 137Chiњenica da istoriјski izvori koјi govore o Zeti u XIV i XV viјeku chesto upotrebљavaјu i shiri poјam Albaniјa iziskuјe izvјesno obјashњeњe Inache su Dubrovchani zemљe Balshiћa i Crnoјeviћa redovno nazivali Zetom oni su podvlachili da Zeta pripada Srbiјi nazivali su Balshiћe srpskom gospodom Konstantin Filozof nazivao јe Balshu arbavaskim gospodinom Kotorani poruchivali su im da ћe ako ih oni ne prihvate morati da se potchine ili Arbavasima ili Srbima ili Turcima Kako im јe u tom trenutku priјetila opasnost od Radicha Crnoјeviћa Sandaљa Hraniћa i turskih provala јasno јe koga su uvrstili u Arbanase Stefan Dushan naziva јe on Pomorјe izјednachio sa Albaniјom Cirkovic 1964 p 273 Medieval and Renaissance Studies 1978 Viator University of California Press pp 388 389 ISBN 0 520 03608 5 Besic 1970 p 196U drugoј polovini septembra 1441 god Stefan Vukchiћ јe provalio u Gorњu Zetu i naјpriјe zauzeo kraјeve do Morache Pridobio јe Stefanicu Crnoјeviћa koјi јe јosh bio u slozi s braћom i istupao u ime chitave porodice Zato mu јe na osvoјenompodruchјu ustupio pet katuna Stefashca јe po јedan katun ustupio svakom bratu a sam zadrzhao Gorichane i Kruse Andrija Veselinovic Rados Ljusic 2008 Srpske dinastije Sluzbene glasink p 127 ISBN 978 86 7549 921 3 Retrieved 21 April 2013 Petrovic Njegos Petar I 1835 Kratka Istoriјa Crne Gore Short History of Montenegro in Serbian retrieved 17 January 2012 U ovoga Stefana bishe tri sina Ivan Bozhidar i Andriјa narecheni Arvanit Hrabri Stefan bјeshe u vriјeme velikoga i slavnoga u velikiјem dјelam Georgiјa Kastriota rechenoga Skender bega kome poshiљashe pomoћ protivu Turakah pod nachelstvom sina svoјega Bozhidara koјega vјerolomni Leka Dukaђin uјedno sa Zahariјem Amnisferom kњazom od neke chasti Arbaniјe i soјuznikom Skender begoviјem docheka busiјom na nekoјemu mјestu i oboјicu ubi i veliku zhalost Kastriotu i svoј њegovoј voјsci kako i Stefanu uchini Schmitt 2001 p 297Nikola und Paul Dukagjin Leka Zaharia von Dagno Peter Span Herr der Berge hinter Drivasto Georg Strez Balsha sowie Johann und Gojko Balsha die sich zwischen Kruja und Alessio festgesetzt hatten die Dushman von Klein Polatum sowie Stefan Stefanica Crnojevic der Herr der Oberzeta Schmitt 2001 p 302Georg Brankovic Stefan Crnojevic und Skanderbeg erschienen mit starken heeren vor den venezianischen Stadten Georg Brankovic Stefan Crnojevic and Skanderbeg appeared with a strong army before the Venetian cities Dragoslav Srejovic Slavko Gavrilovic Sima M Cirkovic 1982 Istorija srpskog naroda knj Od najstarijih vremena do Maricke bitke 1371 Srpska knjizevna zadruga p 266 Retrieved 22 April 2013 U meђuvremenu neochekivano sredinom јula 1448 barski potestat Јakov Dolfin izdashno se sluzheћi lukavstvom potukao јe Altomanovu voјsku chiјim јe јednim delom komandovao Stefanica Crnoјeviћ Cirkovic 2004 pp 107 Ivan Pederin 1990 Mletacka uprava privreda i politika u Dalmaciji 1409 1797 Casopis Dubrovnik p 8 Retrieved 25 April 2013 Sources EditBesic Zarij M 1970 Istorija Crne Gore 2 Crna gora u doba oblasnih gospodara in Serbian Titograd Redakcija za istoiju Crne Gore OCLC 175122851 Schmitt Oliver Jens 2001 Das venezianische Albanien 1392 1479 Munchen R Oldenbourg Verlag GmbH Munchen ISBN 3 486 56569 9 Cirkovic Sima 1964 Istoriјa sredњovekovne bosanske drzhave History of the medieval Bosnian state in Serbian Srpska knjizevna zadruga Cirkovic Sima 2004 The Serbs Malden Blackwell Publishing ISBN 9781405142915 Stefan CrnojevicCrnojevic familyBorn unknown Died 1465Preceded byGojcin Crnojevic Lord of Upper Zeta1451 1465 Succeeded byIvan Crnojevic Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Stefan Crnojevic amp oldid 1124134380, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
